Bittersweet
by lilgonsan
Summary: Each day (he missed a few here and there), after training, Lea returned to Twilight Town for a calm walk through the streets and a refreshing ice cream accompanied by the view of the sunset. Axel/Lea-centric. Takes place after KH3D.


**A/N:** Here's a little thing I whipped up real quick. It's mostly just a headcanon I have that I expanded upon and turned into a drabble. While there are obviously no stated pairings (as with the games), you can either interpret this as romantic or purely platonic. Anyway, I'll be honest and admit that I teared up a little writing this. If the same happened to you while reading, let me know.

* * *

Despite everything that changed in such a short amount of time, Lea appreciated the familiarity that Twilight Town seemed to maintain. Chaos occurred throughout the worlds. There was an evil mastermind out there trying to unleash the powers of darkness, yet Twilight Town was still the same tranquil town he recalled it as. Even in his days as a Nobody, as Axel, it was his favorite world to visit.

Nothing was quite as relaxing as strolling through the alleys and walkways, surrounded by the quiet buildings, and in the distance, the skies of vast orange, yellow, red, and even pink hues all mixed together to create a never-ending twilight.

The same kids still played in the streets. The same owners still ran their small shops in the market place. The same trains still arrived in Sunset Station. The same tournaments took place in the sandlot. The same mansion still stood in the outskirts, as terrifying and intriguing as it always appeared.

Just like the old days (which weren't even that long ago yet felt like decades before), there was that same vendor that sold Sea-Salt ice cream. The little old lady was always happy to see him as he was one of her loyal customers. He paid her a visit as often as he could, buying an ice cream in the evening. She'd ask about his day, and he'd always tell her that it was the same as usual. Sometimes he'd order two. She never asked him why. He assumed she likely thought he was extra hungry or just really enjoyed Sea-Salt ice cream (and he did. It was his favorite, after all).

After his visit to the vendor came his trek up the hill leading up to the Station Plaza, followed by his walk al the way up to where the clock sat on the tower. It was long, and sometimes tiring after especially long days with his Keyblade training. But he didn't mind. It was tradition.

Sometimes when he rounded the corner to take a seat at the ledge, he almost expected someone else to be seated there, waiting for him. He expected someone donning a black cloak and unruly blond spikes to turn around and ask him _"What took you so long?"_ in a teasing tone. Sometimes he waited for the _"You're late,"_ or the _"How was your mission?"_

It never came.

After seeing the empty space, Lea always took a seat by himself and looked up at the sunset. He thought about all the colors he saw, recalled how red was the one that travelled the farthest (A lot like his hair. A lot like himself). He pulled his ice cream out after that, savoring each lick like it was his first despite knowing what the ice cream tasted like.

He'd sit on the ledge in silence, taking his time with the ice cream to enjoy the moment. To recall the times he used to spend up there. Similar to Sea-Salt ice cream, the times he spent on the ledge of the tower at Sunset Station nearly everyday were bittersweet, since he remembered the fondest of memories, but these memories were also the ones that stung the most.

He recalled a dear friend, long gone but not really, and yearned for that familiarity. That once constant in his life that made him feel like he had a heart when he believed he lacked one. He also felt like he was forgetting _something_ , and whatever that _something_ was, it hurt him too.

Whenever Lea finished his ice cream he'd twirl the stick around, just to see if he was lucky enough to get the 'winner' stick. He never was. On this day in particular, though, he was. He smiled fondly and traced a finger over the words printed on the stick.

He wasn't going to turn it in for another ice cream, though. He'd place it right next to the other 'winner' stick that he treasured dearly. He stuffed the stick in his pocket after that, and went down into the station to return to Yen Sid's tower to turn in for the night. He'd resume training the next day in hopes of catching up to his fellow Keyblade wielders as quickly as possible for the upcoming journey.

Each day (he missed a few here and there), after training, Lea returned to Twilight Town for a calm walk through the streets and a refreshing ice cream accompanied by the view of the sunset.

Each time he visited this town, he hoped to see a dear friend again, but never did. This hope is what led him to become a Keyblade wielder. What drove him to train so hard, believing in the notion that someway, somehow, he'd see his friend again. That he'd enjoy ice cream on the ledge of the clock tower at Sunset Station with his friend again.

That on those days when he'd turn to the side and ask _"So what do you think of that, Roxas?"_ he'd finally get a response.


End file.
